Muhammad Faris Jaafar received RM15, 000 after being selected as one of the Top 3 finalists together with the groups from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), at the VEST 2017 Carnival and Gala Night in UKM, Bangi here.

A total of 437 groups involving nearly 1,700 students from 20 Higher Learning Institutions from all over the country participated in the VEST 2017. As many as 200 business ideas were pitched at the competition.

The highlight of the VEST programme was presided by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak.

The VEST programme was launched by the Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin on 28 April, 2017.

The programme is an entrepreneurial competition aimed at cultivating, creating and developing budding entrepreneurs among graduates from local universities.

Within six months, contestants are exposed to current trading, marketing and branding techniques, effective communication, franchise networks and financial planning as preparations to be successful entrepreneurs.

Through VEST 2017, students also had the opportunity to win business offers and secure financial assistance provided by agencies under the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism such as Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), Bank Rakyat, Malaysia Co-Operative Societies Commission (SKM) and Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO).